October 14, 2026, 8:52 am | Read time: 2 minutes
If you need an ETA for the United Kingdom or an ESTA for the U.S. for a trip, you can conveniently apply online. However, a cost trap lurks even when searching for the right website: Private providers sometimes charge several times the official fees–and in the worst case, the necessary documents are still missing afterward. The following overview shows how travelers can recognize legitimate offers and what options remain after an excessive payment.
The Brandenburg Consumer Center warns against unreliable providers of travel authorizations and recommends that vacationers apply for ETA and ESTA exclusively through the official websites.
The problem often begins with the search engine. Paid offers from private service providers can appear high in the search results. Some websites closely resemble official offerings, so travelers should pay close attention to the web address.
The official website for the UK ETA is https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply. The ESTA for the U.S. can be applied for at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. Official government apps for both travel authorizations are also available for Android and iOS smartphones.
UK ETA costs 20 pounds per person
The UK ETA currently costs 20 pounds per person, which is roughly 24 euros. Since April 2025, the travel authorization is mandatory for all travelers who do not have a visa or a residence permit for the country.
Since the introduction of the ETA, there have been repeated warnings about private providers charging significantly higher amounts for the application.
A recent advisory case from the Brandenburg Consumer Center shows how expensive this can be: A woman paid about 310 euros to a service provider for three ETAs. Normally, the total would have been only about 70 euros.
Paid too much for ETA or ESTA: What affected individuals can do
If you have fallen for such a provider, the Consumer Center recommends acting quickly and requesting a refund. At the same time, all documents, emails, and screenshots should be secured as evidence.
You should also contact your bank or credit card provider. Depending on the case, there is a chance to get the money back: “In some cases, chargebacks are possible.”
With material from dpa